The 6 Things I Never Expected Would Happen When My Child Went to School For the First Time

For the past few Septembers, I've felt like I was missing out on something monumental as a parent. Perhaps it's my chronic case of FOMO or the fact that I've always been a "joiner," but scrolling through my social media feeds and seeing photos of dozens of kids cheesing it up in expertly picked back-to-school outfits has always made me yearn for the day I'd eventually get to send my child off to her first day of school.

That day came a few weeks ago, when my nearly-4-year-old daughter started preschool. I was so eager to join all the other moms and dads in the back-to-school frenzy that I didn't stop to think about the aspects of this transition that I wouldn't actually like.

Sure, I got to share in the joys of picking out a new backpack and snapping Instagrams on that inaugural day, but there were a few unexpected downfalls — far beyond the anticipated struggles with schedule changes and hectic morning routines — that this first-time mother of a preschooler wishes she'd known about sooner.